CENTRAL ASIA IN THE CONTEXT OF A CHANGING WORLD ORDER: STRATEGIC FOREIGN POLICIES AND REGIONAL COOPERATION

This article investigates the role of Central Asia within the evolving international order, employing conceptual and analytical approaches. The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the multi-vector foreign policy strategies of the region's states, the institutional dynamics of regional integration processes, and the geoeconomic significance of transport-logistics, energy, and digital corridors arising from the logic of global interconnectedness. The article re-examines approaches that interpret Central Asia as a “great power battleground”. Theoretically, the research is grounded in the concepts of multi-vector diplomacy, functional integration, and geoeconomic networking. The methodological basis includes comparative analysis, institutional analysis, a discursive review of political documents, and a geopolitical risk-benefit analysis of transport and energy projects. The analysis is also illustrated through the foreign policy concepts of the region’s countries, the practice of regional consultative meetings, “Central Asia+” formats, and initiatives on interconnectedness. Furthermore, the article characterizes Central Asia by its tendency to prioritize balance and pragmatic cooperation in foreign policy relations with major powers.